Shirt collar

ABSTRACT

A SHIRT COLLAR WHICH INCLUDES A PAIR OF RELATIVELY STIFF OPEN WEAVE MATERIAL INSERTS ANCHORED AT THE CORNERS OR WINGS OF THE COLLAR BETWEEN THE EXTERNAL PILES OF MATERIAL BY THE EXTERNAL TOP STITCH ABOUT THE EDGE OF THE COLLAR. THE INSERTS ARE OF A WIDTH SHORTER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE COLLAR SO AS TO DEFINE A FOLD LINE IN THE COLLAR MATERIAL BETWEEN THE INSERTS AND THE SHIRT COLLAR BAND. ALSO, THE INTERNAL INSERTS ARE OF A LENGTH SHORTER THAN ONE HALF THE LENGTH OF THE COLLAR AND EACH INSERT HAS A SMOOTH ROUNDED EDGE OPPOSITE FROM ITS COLLAR CORNER.

.m l ,SPH A mlrf'n E lfl 2 .l 6 MMW. a, p 3 nk", lnh .www .L O A R m n A l L 8. .u C 2 A m w H H M S d W G l J F Nov. 23, 1971 BY adhm mnu ATTORNEYS United States Patent O m 3,621,491 SHIRT COLLAR John W. Hall, Decatur, John P. Hunter, Jr., Dunwoody, and Jack W. Fields, Vidalia, Ga., assignors to Oxford Industries, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.

Filed May 28, 1970, Ser. No. 41,366 Int. Cl. A41b 3/00, 3/06 U.S. Cl. 2--131 8 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A shirt collar which includes a pair of relatively stiff open weave material inserts anchored at the corners or wings of the collar `between the external plies of material by the external top stitch about the edge of the collar. The inserts are of a width shorter than the width of the collar so as to define a fold line in the collar material between the inserts and the shirt collar band. Also, the internal inserts are of a length shorter than one half the length of the collar and each insert has a smooth rounded edge opposite from its collar corner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The collar construction of a mans shirt or similar garment usually comprises two or more plies of similarly shaped material in matched relationship and stitched together about one of their mutual long edges and their opposite short edges. The stitching usually is arranged with a stitch formed with the plies of material in facing relationship, and when the stitch has been completed the parts are turned inside out to place the connecting stitch inside the formed collar. The unstitched long edge of the collar is connected to a collar band at the top of the shirt structure or to the shoulder yoke of a shirt structure which does not have a collar band.

In order to provide an attractive collar structure, it is desirable to form the collar with an extra thickness or rigidity so that it maintains its shape. One popular method of stiifening collars is to include an extra layer of material or a liner between the external plies of material. Also, the internal stitching which holds the plies of material together has been supplemented with an external or top stitch which is spaced from the edge of the collar structure and extends through the internal hem of the internal stitch. To further stiften a collar structure at the wings or points of the collar, collar stays or relatively rigid elongated strips of plastic have been sewn in the collar structure. Also, additional layers of material with the collar stays laminated between the layers of material have been stitched between the plies of material at the collar wings. These inserts are usually of a length so that they extend approximately one fourth the length of the collar structure and are called quarter patches.

While the previously described devices and other devices have been used successfully in stiffening collars, some of the problems encountered with the various collar stiffening devices include puckering or wrinkling of external plies of material at the top stitch, the wrinkling of the external plies of the collar structure because of difierential shrinking of the materials in the structure, and the appearance of an unsightly bulge in the collar caused by a collar stay.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briey described, the present invention comprises a collar structure for a shirt or the like wherein relatively stiff open mesh or screen-like material inserts are placed between the external plies of collar material at the corners or wings of the collar structure and are anchored in place by the external top stitch extending along the edge of the collar structure. The screen inserts are of a length of approximately one fourth or one third the length of the collar structure and of a Width less than the width of a collar structure so as to tend to form a fold line in the external plies of collar material between the inserts and the collar band or inner collar structure of the garment.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a collar structure for a shirt or similar garment which is pleasing in appearance, economical to construct and which has good wear characteristics.

Another object of this invention is to provide a collar structure which tends to form a fold line adjacent the collar band or inner collar structure.

Another object of this invention is to provide a collar structure or the like which is natural and neat in appearance and which maintains its shape as it is worn without the appearance of puckering at the external top stitch or the appearance of collar stay bulges.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading of the following speciiication when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a View of a shirt collar laid ilat and unfolded, with portions of one of the external plies of material and the liner removed to show the collar inserts.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section ojf the collar showing the collar in its folded position.

FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are progressive illustrations of the manner in which the collar is constructed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now in more detail to the drawing, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several.

views, FIG. 1 shows the collar structure 10 of a shirt or similar garment which comprises a collar band 11 and collar 12. Collar 12 comprises two external plies of material 14 and 15, liner 16 and inserts 18. The external plies of material 14 and 15 and liner 16 are similar in size and shape and are internally stitched with stitching 19 about one of their mutual long edges 20 and their mutual short or ends or edges 21 and 22. As is illustrated in FIG. 3, external plies 14 and 15 are stacked adjacent each other and liner 16 is placed on the bottom of the stack. Stitching 19 is applied along the edges of the stacked material at a distance removed from the edges. After the stitching 19 has been formed about the mutual long edges 20 and mutual short edges 21 and 22, the collar structure is inverted or turned inside out so that the external plies 14 and 15 are disposed externally while the liner 16 is disposed internally, and the stitching 19 becomes internal stitching as illustrated in FIG. 4. The edges of the layers of material which formed an external hem 24 (FIG. 3) before the collar was inverted now form an internal hem 24 (FIG. 4).

Inserts 18 are inserted between the external plies 14 and 15 up into the corners or wings 25 and 26 formed at the intersections of the mutual long edges 20 and mutual short edges 21 and 22, and the inserts extend into the internal hem 24. The edges 28 and 29 of insert 18 generally conform in shape with the inside of the collar so that the inserts are snugly received at the corners 25 and 26 of the collar. When the inserts have been properly positioned within the corners of the collar 12, the external top stitch 30 is applied to the collar. The top stitch is spaced from the edge: of the collar and functions to anchor inserts 18 at the corners 25 and 26 of the collar.

Inserts 18 are of a length which is less than one half the length of collar 12 and of a width less than the width of the collar. As is illustrated in FIG. 1, the short edges 31 of the inserts are positioned at approximately one third of the length of the collar from the short edges 21 and 22 of the collar, and the long edges 32 of the inserts 18 are spaced from collar band 11. Thus, inserts 18 are anchored within the collar only at edges 28 and 29, and the inserts 18 are not connected to each other.

Inserts 18 are formed from an open mesh or screenlike mat of synthetic tibers such as polyester or polyamide or polyimide materials which, when compared with the external plies 14 and 15 and liner 16 of the collar, is relatively still. Thus, the portion of the collar material between collar band 11 and inserts 18 is more ilexible than the remaining portion of the collar so that a fold line 34 is naturally formed in the material adjacent collar band 11.

The corner structure 35 of inserts 18 which is formed at the edges 31 and 32 of the inserts is rounded, and edges 31 and 32 of the inserts 18 are blunted by carefully cutting away the extending fibers of the insert, or by fusing these fibers with a heated instrument, or by applying a tape or glue to the edges, or by other conventional means. This rounding of the corner and blunting of the edges of the insert material prevents the relatively stil insert material from puncturing, fraying, or otherwise wearing the other plies of collar material.

The open mesh material used for inserts 18 allows top stitch 30 to be formed loosely between the weave of the inserts so that the inserts are somewhat loosely held between the plies of collar material. This construction is desirable so that if any differential shrinkage should occur between inserts 18 and the other plies of collar material, the inserts can shift with respect to the collar material and no puckering, wrinkling or creasing will appear in the external plies of collar material. Moreover, since the inserts 18 are anchored only along two of their four edges the shifting of the inserts between thev external plies of collar material will not be inhibited or detected.

Inserts 18 can be fabricated from virtually any fabric; however, the inserts should be somewhat heat resistant so that they will not tend to melt or fuse upon the application of heat to the garment. While a polyamide or polyimide such as nylon is disclosed as one of the materials used, if the garment is to have heat applied to the collar structure, which is above the fusing temperature of nylon, a more heat resistant material should be used. `One material which has been successfully used in spite of the application of the normal pressing temperatures used in garment finishing is a mesh of polyester mesh such as polyethylene terephthalate.

As an example of the materials which have been found useful as insert materials, the following Chicopee synthetic mesh materials have been used:

Construc- Yarn size Fiber m1 Style number PDI-I 60210 Polyester PDH 60191 do The above listed materials are by no means complete in that it is anticipated that various other and diierent materials can be utilized as the insert material for the collar structure. The general requirements should be that the insert is relatively stiff with respect to the external plies of the collar, that an open mesh weave be utilized so as to allow for some creeping or shifting of the insert with respect to the collar, and that the insert be anchored only along one or two edges in the collar.

While the inserts 18 have been described as being anchored only with the external top stitch 30, it should be understood that the inserts can be connected to the collar 12 with the internal stitching 19 by adding the inserts as another ply of material to the stack of material of FIG. 3, if desired. Moreover, the two inserts 18 can be formed as a single long insert to extend entirely over the length of the collar so that the stitching 19 can be conveniently formed. Because of the open mesh construction of the insert, a sutiicient amount of creep or shifting of the insert with respect to the external plies of collar material can take place to compensate for any shrinkage, etc. Moreover, the tibers of the open mesh material of the inserts can be easily deformed so that any puckering that might otherwise occur in the external plies of collar material will be avoided by the shifting of the bers of the open mesh inserts.

While this invention has been disclosed as a collar structure with a collar band at thev upper portion of the shirt structure and connected between the outer collar and the shoulder yoke to form a dress shirt, `it will be understood that the collar structure can be formed without a collar band and with a larger inner collar portion which reaches the shoulder yoke, which is the conventional sport shirt structure. The collar inserts of the collar structure without the collar band are of a width generally similar to the width of the inserts of the collar structure with a band so that the inserts tend to form a fold line in the collar.

Moreover, while this invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinbefore and as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A shirt collar or similar structure comprising at least two plies of elongated similarily shaped strips of collar material stitched together along one of their mutual long edges and both their mutual short edges and stitched to the upper portion of a shirt structure along their other mutual long edges, and a ply of relatively stiff open mesh woven material positioned between said two plies of collar material and located adjacent the corners formed by said one of the mutual long edges and said short edges of said two plies of collar material and spaced away from said upper portion of the shirt structure to define a fold line in said two plies of collar material at the upper portion of. the shirt structure, said plies of open mesh Woven material being loosely held between the plies of collar material by external stitching extending along the mutual long edges and mutual short edges of said collar material, whereby said open mesh woven material is able to creep with respect to said plies of collar material.

2. The shirt collar structure of claim 1 and wherein said ply of relatively stiff material comprises inserts of said stiff material positioned at each collar corner and defining a rounded corner structure opposite from the collar corner.

3. The shirt collar structure of claim 1 and wherein said ply of relatively still material comprises material woven from polyester yarns of a size ranging from approximately 6 to 12 mils and With a Weave structure in the range of from approximately 24 to 46 yarns per inch of length and Width.

4. The shirt collar structure of claim 1 and wherein said ply of relatively stiff material comprises material Woven from nylon yarns of a size ranging from approximately 81/2 to 12 mils and with a Weave structure in the range of from approximately 22 to 52 yarns per inch of length and width.

5. A shirt collar structure or the like comprising at least two elongated layers of cloth internally stitched together along one of their mutual long edges and both of their mutual short edges, an open mesh material insert positioned between the layers of cloth at the intersection of each of said mutual short edges `with said mutual long edges, and external stitching extending through said layers of cloth and open mesh material inserts along said mutual short edges and said mutual long edges, whereby said open mesh material inserts are anchored between said layers of cloth at the intersection of the mutual long edges with the mutual short edges in a manner which allows creeping of said open mesh material inserts with respect to the layers of cloth.

6. A shirt collar or similar structure comprising at least two plies of elongated similarly shaped strips of collar material internally stitched together along one of their mutual long edges and both of their mutual short edges and externally stitched to the upper portion of a shirt structure along their other mutual long edges, a relatively stiff open mesh material insert positioned between said two plies of collar material at each corner formed by said mutual long edges and said mutual short edges ofl said collar material and spaced away from said upper portion of said shirt structure to define a fold line in said two plies of collar material adjacent said upper portion of said shirt structure, and at least one of the edges of said material inserts being blunted to prevent the relatively stiff open mesh material of the inserts from damaging the plies of collar material.

7. The shirt collar of claim 6 and wherein the blunted edges of said material inserts are positioned adjacent the fold line.

8. The shirt collar of claim 6 and wherein the blunted edges of. said material inserts are the edges opposite from the edges at the corners formed by said mutual long edges and said mutual short edges of said collar material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,024,467 3/1962 Sommer 2-131 1,968,409 7/1934 Liebowitz 2--131 FOREIGN PATENTS 662,394 12/1951 Great Britain 2-131 JAMES R. BOLER, Primary Examiner 

